47 XXY, Otherwise known as Klinefelters

XXY

Before we delve into what Klinefelter syndrome is, why is occurs lets start with our genes and chromosomes.

What are genes?

Our genes are made up of our DNA. everything from our hair colour, eye colour, even how tall we are. All of our genes are packaged into chromosomes.

What are chromosomes?

Chromosomes. A word that you will carry with you forever. A word you may have no idea what it meant before receiving the Klinefelter diagnosis.

Chromosomes carry all the information about us as a person. Us as human beings, have 46 chromosomes, how do we end up with 46 chromosomes and where do they come from?

Chromosome 1 comes from a father, and is paired with chromosome 2, from the Mother, and so on.

As an example, you need to find your friend at the beach. You need to remember what they wearing, where they swim, where they are sitting on the beach. similar to chromosomes they can pair up much more easily if they can recognise their chromosome partner.

Of those 46 chromosomes, there is one pair of chromosomes that determine the sex. The sex chromosomes are X or Y.The pair together determines a persons sex. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X, and one Y, or XY./, that makes the final pair.

So where do the X and Y chromosomes come from?

Klinefelter syndrome is NOT inherited. The cell division that occurs, is completely random during the formation of reproduction (sperm and egg). The error that occurs is called non disjunction results in a reproductive cell with an abnormal number of chromosomes.

XXY possess associated symptoms which may include- being Tall, small Testes, as well as symptoms that may fall into these main categories:

Physical Symptoms
Language and Learning Symptoms
Social and Behavioural Symptoms